While BNW could not be sure exactly how the fish got into the river, they said it was most likely either deposited directly into the water by a pet owner or flushed down a nearby toilet.

The image highlights the problem of flushing fish down the toilet as many cities in the Great Lakes area have sewage systems that flow directly into local waterways.

A spokesman for BNW said: “The story ended well for this fish, but not for our water. Aquatic invasive species that don’t naturally belong in the Great Lakes, like this goldfish, are a constant threat to the health of native wildlife populations and their habitats.

“Large and small, hundreds of different invasive species continue to disrupt and cause damage to our Great Lakes.”